Reversible car-seat



(N0 Model.)

W. M. NORCROSS. REVERSIBLE CAR SEAT.

No. 551.326 Patented Dec. 10, 1895.

INVENTOR M /atnn BY I 1 e ATTORNEY WITNESSES. 6mm

UNITED STATES EEicE.

PATENT REVERSIBLE CAR-SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551 ,326, dated December 10, 1895.

Application filed October l, 1894:. Serial No. 524,880. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern:

3e it known that 1, WILLIAM H. Nononoss, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible Car Seats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is an end elevation; Fig. 2, an end elevation midway of reversal; Fig. 3, a similar elevation nearly reversed; Fig. 4, a section as on line co-b, Fig. l.

The object of this invention is to supply a reversible car-seat that shallbe simple in construction and in operation, readily made, free from unnecessary projections or obstructions at the ends and which may be quickly and easily reversed, and also partially collapsed in order to leave a free passage-way between rows of the seats.

The invention consists of the combination with two parts constituting the back and seat portions hinged together at their lower or meeting edges, an arm, one end of which is pivoted to one of said parts, as the seat por tion, the other end thereof pivoted to the usual legs or support of the seat, a similarly-pivoted arm connecting the other part or back with said support, a horizontally-disposed bar piv. oted to and connecting the said arms, together with suitable stops upon which the seat portion is adapted to rest when the carseat is in use, the construction and arrangement being such that the seat may be readily reversed by turning upon the said hinge and pivots, the seat thereof becomes the back, and the back the seat, as desired, or the two parts brought to an approximate vertical position, when required, for the purposes hereinbefore mentioned.

The invention consists also in certain special features of construction, which will be duly pointed out, whereby the car-seat is devoid of any projecting arms or other obstruction at the ends thereof, a desideratum, es pecially in the transverselydisposed seats usual in city railway passenger-cars.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, B and S designate the two parts orboards constituting the back and seat, respectively, of

substantially the same form and, dimensions. They are placed together along their lower or inner edges and connected by a hinge 71- at each end.

A A are two similarly-shaped arms, the end of one of which, A, is pivoted at to the back B, and the other end is pivoted at x to a crossbar C of the legs or support D, whose feet rest on the floor of the car. The other arm A is likewise pivoted to the seat S and to the opposite end of the cross-bar C. These arms are connected by a horizontal transverse bar E, one extremity of which is pivoted at y to one of said arms, and the other extremity at 11 to the other arm. Each of these arms A A is pro vided with an inwardly-projecting lug or stop L. (Shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and in full lines in Fig. 4E.) Said arms and connecting-bar, (he. are so arranged relatively to each other and the parts B and S, that when the car-seat is in actual use, they will occupy the positions seen in Fig. 1that is to say, the upper portion of one of the arms, as A, will coincide practically with the end of the back, and the other arm A will coincide with the end of the seat, while the connectingbar E will coincide with the end of the seat portion and the latter will bear upon the lugs L. The back B will be retained firmly in the proper position by the arms and connectingbar. It will also be seen that the ends of the seat are entirely unobstructed and devoid of any projections upon which the clothing of sitters may catch.

To reverse the sea-tthat is, to change the seat to the back and the back to the seat-it is merely necessary to seize hold of the back or seat portion and move the same on the pivots and hinges to cause them to take the position shown in Fig. 2 and then over to the position shown in Fig. 3, thence until the part B rests upon lugs L.

When it is desired to make ample passageway between two adjacent rows of the seats, either one or both of the rows may be shifted to the position of Fig. 2 or thereabout. Also, in case of rain in open cars, when the seats are unoccupied, they may be placed in like position, thus allowing the rain to run off.

The support D is connected to a similar one at the other end of the seat (not shown in the drawings) by bars d and 61 whose ends rest in suitable sockets in the inner side of said support.

I remark that as the only function of the lugs L is to form a stop or stops for the seat portion, as described, it is not essential, although preferable, that they shall be secured to or be a part of the arms, for it will be obvious that such stop or stops may be located elsewhere-401' example, on the inner side of the top or cross-bar d of the seat-support. I also remark that it is to be understood that the arms, connecting-bar, &c., are duplicated on the other end of the car-seat. (Not shown).

I do not broadly claim a car-seat comprising a support, a pair of combined back and seat parts,means whereby the parts are guided in their movement across the support, and means connecting the parts with the support so as to cause the parts, when in one position and shifted, in the act of reversing, to fold toward each other until they assume an approximately central position on the support and then unfold into reverse position; but

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a reversible car-seat the combination of the hinged seat and back portions, the arms pivoted respectively thereto and to the seat support, and the horizontal bar pivoted to and connecting said arms, together with a suitable stop for the seat portion, all constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a reversible car-seat the combination of the seat support, the hinged seat and back portions, the arms pivoted to said support and to the seat and back portions respectively, and coinciding substantially with the ends thereof, the horizontal bar pivoted to and connecting said arms, and coinciding practically with the end of the seat portion, together with a suitable stop for the latter, all constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a reversible car-seat the combination of the hinged seat and back portions, the arms pivoted respectively thereto and to the seat support, the horizontal bar pivoted to and connecting said arms, together with the stop lugs secured to the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto atfixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM M. NORCROSS.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. XV. REED. WALTER O. PUsEv. 

